Pubdate: Fri, 19 Feb 2016
Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)
Copyright: 2016 Los Angeles Times
Contact:  http://www.latimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/248
Author: Michael Rechtshaffen

MILE- HIGH TIMES FOR JOURNALISM

Call it "Potlight." Chronicling Ricardo Baca's first year as the 
Denver Post's inaugural marijuana editor, "Rolling Papers" takes an 
appropriately buzzworthy snapshot of Colorado's legalized cannabis culture.

Baca, deemed the right man for the job thanks to a previous stint as 
the newspaper's music critic, is shown taking his new beat seriously.

He created "The Cannabist" website, which features reviews assessing 
the subtle differences between "Ghost Train Haze" and "Death Panda" 
strains of mariuana, as well as recipes for edibles and even a pot 
and parenting column.

While Baca's gig proves to be pure gold for pundits ( with Stephen 
Colbert quipping that it's "a gateway job to meth editor"), he 
proceeds to break ground with investigative reports and alternative 
medical treatments, ultimately attracting the services of 
contributing columnist Whoopi Goldberg.

Generally leaving the weightier political stuff to others, Mitch 
Dickman's lively documentary functions as both a handy pot primer and 
a telling portrait of the volatile, adapt-or-die climate that 
continues to hover over the newspaper industry. "Rolling Papers." Not 
rated. Running time: 1 hour, 20 minutes. Playing: Laemmle Royal, West 
L. A. Also on VOD.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom